GIVEAWAY: Santa Barbara Culinary Experience (March 13-15)
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Photo credit: SBCE |
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Photo credit: SBCE |
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Photo credit: SBCE |
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Photo credit: SBCE |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 1:12 PM 6 comments
Labels: border grill, food festival, giveaway, luncheon, mary sue milliken, santa barbara, santa barbara culinary experience, sbce, susan feniger
It's almost time for one of my favorite food events of the year: LA Loves Alex's Lemonade! They're celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. That's right, 10 years of raising money to end childhood cancer along with great food and drinks. Hosted by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne from the Lucques Group and Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat), they've raised over $7.3 million since they started - an amazing feat.
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Photo: Becky Sapp |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 11:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: alexs lemonade, charity event, childhood cancer, food festival, la loves alexs lemonade, royce quad, ucla
So I'm a few days late posting about upcoming August festivals (sorry) but summer is in full swing in LA and there are plenty of upcoming food events you should put on your radar!
August 11
Hitching Post 2 Pop-up at LA Wine
This famous Central Coast spot is popping up for one day only at LA Wine. They're bringing over their red oak-fired grill to LA to serve up at LA Wine's outdoor patio starting at 5pm until sold out.
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Photo courtesy of Hitching Post |
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Ma'am Sir will be serving this Hawaiian POG cocktail for their dinner collaboration with Chef Sheldon Simeon from Lineage (Maui) |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: food event, food festival, La food and wine, lafw, los angeles, the taste
This coming weekend on July 19-20, Go Little Tokyo will be showcasing the food and drink offerings (and beyond) of the neighborhood with Delicious Little Tokyo. There will be a variety of special workshops, demos, and tastings at different Little Tokyo businesses over the two days. Some of the events include:
A takoyaki making demo with Takoyaki Tanota, taking place on the Japanese Village Food Stage and is free to attend.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 3:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: delicious little tokyo, downtown la, dtla, food festival, go little tokyo, la events, la food events, little tokyo, los angeles, mixology workshop, takoyaki
If you're unfamiliar with Cochon 555, this event is an annual staple in multiple cities around the country. Cochon 555 is a food event and competition meant to highlight heritage pigs. In each city, 5 chefs partner up with 5 pig farmers and prepare some nose-to-tail pork dishes. The winner from each city is crowned Prince of Porc and will move on to compete in the big finale. What that means for us is an afternoon filled with pork (and booze). For this year, the Los Angeles event will take place on Sunday, June 2 at City Market Social House.
This year's participating chefs include Kat Hu and Justin Yi (Hock+Hoof) with Marin Sun Farms, David Johns (Mason) with Rancho Llano Seco, Jason Mattick and Ivan Marquez (Broken Spanish) with Marin Sun Farm, Ben Diaz (Nixo Lounge) with Peads and Barnetts. Brian Redzikowski from Kettner Exchange who made this (adorable!) pork bun (Pic Mac Bao) last year will also be returning to compete, this time partnering with Cook Pigs Ranch.
There'll be a lot of more food than from the competing chefs, though. There'll be a tartare bar, cheese bar, oyster bar, and even a veggie bar. Some of my favorite bites last year besides than the Pic Mac Bao is this lechon kawali from Maynard Llera (H.wood Group)
Posted by gourmetpigs at 3:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: cochon, cochon 555, dtla, fashion district, food festival, heritage pork, los angeles, pigs, pork
This year's Masters of Taste will return for their 4th annual festival on Sunday, April 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The event started to benefit Union Station Homeless Services has really grown in the past years.
I recently attended a preview event featuring some of the culinary, beverage and dessert masters from the upcoming event. All of the food and drinks we had that night were from restaurants or brands that will be serving at the event.
The bartenders at Raymond 1886 created this cocktail for the welcome reception: Kami of Dawn (Ki No Bi dry gin, lemon juice, yuzu syrup, passion fruit, green chartreuse, coedo marihana
Because of the rain, we got to enjoy our preview dinner inside the Rose Bowl's visitor locker room. It was pretty cool!
Posted by gourmetpigs at 3:07 PM 0 comments
Labels: food event, food festival, la food event, los angeles, masters of taste, pasadena, rose bowl, union station services
It's almost that time of year again, time for The Taste of WGBH Food & Wine Festival. The proceeds from the festival go to support the public radio program. There are multiple events over the course of the four days - last year I wrote about the Food Fight event.
One of the best events to attend is the Chefs' Gala, which will take place on Thursday, October 11 inside the WGBH studios. The gala event showcases 21 of the top chefs around the city along with beer, wine, and cocktails.
Here are some of my favorite bites from last year's event:
Savory egg flan with sherry, maple, and ham from Puritan & Co. This was so good we got seconds.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 6:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: boston, boston food festival, food festival, taste of wgbh, wgbh
The ultimate Boston summer food festival might be Spectacle on Spectacle, which brings guests to Spectacle Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands, for a food and drink extravaganza complete with a ferry ride to and from the island.
Since last year, the Boston Harbor Now has signed on Barbara Lynch to be in charge of their culinary programs, so you can bet her restaurants will be participating at the event as they did last year. This year's Spectacle on Spectacle will take place on June 21, 2018 and there will also be a fireworks display.
The evening starts with a ferry ride to Spectacle Island, and there were appetizer stations and beer/wine served on the boat. It actually did rain that evening during the event, but they were ready with tents and the rain didn't stop any of us from having a blast.
There were other great Boston restaurants participating last year in addition to the Barbara Lynch Gruppo. Some of my favorite dishes included this sea trout crudo from SRV.
There's of course, the iconic butter soup (with mussels and caviar) from Barbara Lynch's Menton.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: barbara lynch, boston food event, boston food festival, boston harbor, boston harbor islands, boston harbor now, food festival, spectacle island, spectacle on spectacle
The Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston has been underway since this weekend. The summit gathers 7000 "young leaders" and present motivation panels, pitch contests, as well as music and food festivals. Tomorrow (October 3) will be this year's food festival. The food festival features young notable chefs from the 30 Under 30 list and they will compete for the title of America's Best Young Chef (there are two categories: the Judges' Choice and Audience Choice).
I attended last year's Forbes Under 30 Food Festival, which again featured some great young chefs from all over the world. Here are some of my favorite bites from the Forbes 30 Under 30 Food Festival last year:
This beef and truffle donut - probably my favorite of the night - from Henry Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery a.k.a. The Fabulous Baker Brothers in United Kingdom
Seaweed pie from Toni Toivanen of the Scandinavian pop-up restaurant Sandladan. While they ran out of the seaweed tartlets, I still loved the custard - made of fermented egg yolk and lobster brains (yes), topped with poached lobster and ants.
Eel kabayaki with black puffed rice from La Cime in Osaka, Japan
This year's Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees competing in the food festival / cook-off include:
Andrew Chmielewski (Dave’s Sweet Tooth, Ferndale, MI), Alexandra Clark, (Bon Bon Bon, Detroit), Simon Davies (Chef de Cuisine at Alinea, Chicago), Zachary Engel (Chef de Cuisine at Shaya Restaurant, New Orleans), Kelvin Fernandez (Executive Chef at La Marina, New York) – defending 2016 “America’s Best Young Chef – Audience Choice” winner, Christian Pettersen (Head Chef at Mondo, Norway), Kwame Onwuachi (Chef & Owner at The Shaw Bijou, Washington, DC), Henry Herbert (TV Personality from The Fabulous Baker Brothers, United Kingdom) – defending 2016 “America’s Best Young Chef – Judge’s Choice” winner, and more.
The food festival will be held tomorrow, Oct 3, 2017 from 6-10 pm at JFK Library in Boston. The food festival is open only to holders of VIP and all-access passes to the 2017 Forbes Under 30 Summit.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 11:57 AM 0 comments
Labels: 30 under 30, boston, food festival, forbes, forbes 30 under 30, forbes under 30, under 30 summit
The Taste of WGBH, their annual multi-event food and wine festival held by Boston's public radio station WGBH is coming soon on October 5-8. There will be four different events that weekend, from a red-carpet Chef's Gala to three fun tasting events.
Last year I attended Food Fight, one of their events that pitted Boston restaurants in a competition for the best food-on-a-stick.
The winner of last year's food fight is Kaki Lima, the Indonesian pop-up that's currently doing a residency at Wink and Nod. They served their sate lilit, a Balinese spiced chicken satay served with turmeric rice.
I also got seconds of the lobster corn dog from Lincoln, because lobster!
Posted by gourmetpigs at 11:17 PM 0 comments
Labels: boston, boston food event, boston food festival, food festival, food fight, taste of wgbh, wgbh, wgbh food and wine festival
Summer is a time for bbq and day drinking. It's also the season for food festivals in Boston, including Boston Magazine's annual food festivals. In August, the two-night affair The Cue and Battle of the Burger is returning to the Cruiseport.
Last year, I was invited to attend - since I was flying out for a friend's wedding, I only managed to check out The Cue right before heading to the airport!
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Pecan smoked baby back ribs from Coppersmith |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:38 PM 0 comments
Labels: bbq, bbq fest, boston food festival, boston mag, boston magazine, cocktails, fireflys bbq, food festival, mixology, the cue
Allston is home to some of the best restaurants in Boston, so wouldn't it be great to be able to try a couple dozen of them at the same time? You can at Taste of Allston, which is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year! Spend Saturday afternoon on June 24 tasting food from 20 restaurants, and enjoy the summer (which is finally here!) with live music, lawn games, and other activities! More details (plus a giveaway for a pair of tickets!) are below:
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:03 AM 0 comments
Labels: allston, boston, boston festival, food festival, giveaway, taste of allston
Summer is the season is food festivals. Up next on the calendar: Masters of Taste will be back for its second annual event on May 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Guests will get to stroll the Rose Bowl's 50-yard line while sampling bites and cocktails from 45 of LA's top restaurants and bars.
This year's restaurant lineup includes Miro, The Raymond 1886, Nerano, Alexander's Steakhouse, Hamasaku, Little Beast, Kato, and Redbird.
There will be plenty to drink including cocktails, beers, and wines. Participating bars include Bar Mattachine, Birds and Bees, and 1886. You can find beers and spirits from Indie Brewing Company, Kikori Whiskey, Mezcal El Silencio, as well as various wineries.
They didn't forget about desserts. You can cool down with ice creams from Choctal and Magpies Softserve, or much on treats from Street Churros, Spirnkles, and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 4:22 PM 0 comments
Labels: food events, food festival, la food festival, los angeles, masters of taste, may 2017, pasadena, rose bowl
Since 1993, restaurants in the Boston's North End join forces each year for a food festival that benefit North End charities at Taste of the North End. This year's event will be held on April 28 at the DCR's Steriti Memorial Rink.
Guests will be able to taste food from smaller North End businesses that normally don't participate in food festivals.
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Capt Jackson's Historic Chocolate Shop |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 6:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: boston, food event, food festival, italian food, north end, taste of the north end
UPDATE: first round winners have been chosen but you can still enter to win a pair of VIP tickets to the Sunday Heritage BBQ on www.facebook.com/gourmetpigs !
Cochon555 is a competition and food festival dedicated to promoting heritage pig breeds. At the main event in each city, five chefs will partner with five farms to prepare dishes, utilizing 1500 lbs of heritage breed pork! The Heritage BBQ is coming to Boston at SoWa on April 9, as part of a three-day weekend of food, art, and thought called BESPOKE.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 8:33 AM 0 comments
Labels: bespoke, boston, cochon 555, contest, food events, food festival, food forum, food policy, giveaway, heritage pig, piggy bank org, pork, sowa
May is going to be a good month for Los Angeles food lovers. The LA Times is launching a month-long food festival in Los Angeles, dubbed the LA Times Food Bowl. The event is inviting restaurants, bars, and other venues all over the city to participate. The festival anticipates to have hundreds of events throughout the city, showcasing LA's culinary diversity while promoting awareness about food waste and hunger.
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photo credit: Jennifer Johnson |
Posted by gourmetpigs at 10:13 AM 0 comments
Labels: food events, food festival, jonathan gold, la food bowl, la food festival, la times, la times food bowl, may 2017
Most people, even those not from Boston, would know the name Fenway, but how many really know the Fenway neighbhorhood beyond the baseball stadium? Fenway is actually home to many wonderful restaurants and bars, from the casual to the high end. Recently, the Fenway Community Development Corporation held Taste of the Fenway to showcase the diverse food options the neighborhood has to offer. Here are some of my favorite bites from Taste of the Fenway:
Tuna poke from Hojoko, the fun and hopping izakaya inside The Verb Hotel.
Top Chef alum Tiffani Faison actually has two restaurants in Fenway, and she brought both to the festival. I love when the chef is personally on hand to cook at these festivals, it shows their dedication!
She did a Singaporean Street Noodle to showcase her Southeast Asian spot, Tiger Mama.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:51 AM 0 comments
Labels: boston, boston events, fenway, food event, food festival, taste of the fenway, tiffani faison
Posted by gourmetpigs at 9:47 AM 0 comments
Labels: Celestino, discount code, food festival, iamla, italian food, los angeles, pasadena, taste of italy
Lucky Boston readers, I've got another giveaway for you!
Taste of the Fenway is coming on Wednesday, September 28. This neighborhood is not just about the stadium but also houses some of Boston's best restaurants. The street festival will take place on Van Ness Street and will feature Fenway's great restaurant lineup including Sweet Cheeks Q and Tiger Mama from Top Chef Tiffani Faison, Hojoko, Loretta's Last Call, Tapestry, the new Saloniki, and more alongside wine and beers aplenty. There will be live music and art to keep the night entertaining.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:52 AM 2 comments
Labels: boston, contest, fenway, food festival, giveaway, hojoko, kenmore, lorettas last call, taste of the fenway, tiger mama
by guest blogger @btsunoda
Superstar chefs Cat Cora, Ricardo Zarate, Valerie Gordon, and Suzanne Tracht are among the lineup for the sixth annual Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival, April 8-10, 2016
The three-day festival, held in the heart of Palm Desert’s famed El Paseo shopping district, is produced by Palm Springs Life magazine in conjunction with co-producers Tony Marchese and Dominic Peterson.
The Festival begins Friday, April 8 with a four-course gourmet luncheon, expertly prepared by celebrity chefs and served in an elegantly-appointed tent. The luncheon is followed by two days of Grand Tastings, featuring delectable morsels from more than 40 restaurants, created by renowned chefs from all across California. More than 70 premium wines and champagnes will be offered. In addition there will be 20 live cooking demos.
I recently attended a media tasting event and was able to preview some of the tasty bites, wine and liqueurs that will be served.
A sampling of premium beer and wines were available for us to taste. The Kenwood Yulupa Cuvée Brut was a well balanced sparkling wine with hints of fresh peach. It was a great way to invigorate my palate for what I was about to sample.
Executive chef Engin Onural from The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge in Palm Desert prepared 3 offerings of common menu items: sunomono, ceviche and California roll. Last December, Best Chefs of America bestowed the title of “Best Chef” to Onural.
Posted by gourmetpigs at 7:53 AM 0 comments
Labels: aarti sequeira, bryan tsunoda, engin onural, food and wine festival, food festival, palm desert, palm desert food and wine, ricardo zarate
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